The present invention, in its broadest aspect, relates to a data gathering system and more particularly to a system for producing a sequential recording of occurrences for subsequent and/or remote processing. The invention provides significant upgrading in the ability to obtain, process, and record data which accurately portrays the type and amount of a rendered service. The billing for such services can therefore be more fairly and accurately related to the actual service provided. In addition the range of service types or qualities and the forms of payment possible are quite flexible and can all be handled as a group and in an efficient manner. Representative of the types of services which can benefit from the present invention are educational services -- ex. attendance records, health services -- ex. nurse and drug records, transportation services -- ex. delivery of people and parcels.
In a particular embodiment, which is used here for illustration, the system is utilized as part of an automated fare collecting system for a public transportation facility which provides for varying scale of fares directly related to the services rendered the passenger charged. From its beginnings, public transportation in the United States was financed by a flat fare system. Initially this was acceptable because the fare was low and riders had few alternatives except walking. Over the years, as costs increased, fares were raised to produce additional revenue; however the ridership dropped off on a long term basis. The embodiment of the invention described provides the alternative to present transit systems of charging passengers a fee directly related to the services rendered.
The present invention relates to a data collecting system which renders a value received system of fares feasible by removing the point of the business transaction (such as between a passenger on a bus, train, trolley, etc. and the carrier) from the remote location to a central office (computer location). The proposed system contemplates a use of two primary elements: a data collecting unit which can readily be carried on a bus or otherwise existing at a remote location and a computer with appropriate software to transform the data accumulated by the collector into periodic billings which can then be sent to the service recipient (ex passenger). The system further contemplates that in place of the coins which are now commonly used, the customer will carry a suitably encoded card bearing information relating to the customer and necessary billing information.
As stated, the present system enables charges to a customer to be related directly to the services rendered and thus enables the business facility to offer a wider range of services than was heretofore possible such as for example, door-to-door service, group rates, and subsidized fares.
Thus, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a unit for collecting data for use in generating and preparing bills for services rendered and information pertinent to the auditing and managing of these services.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a unit which utilizes conventional components which are readily available and relatively inexpensive to compile so as to render the overall system economically feasible on a commercial scale.